~Renaissance Academy~

Academic / College Information Grades 7-12

Welcome to the Academic Counseling page for Renaissance Academy!

A message from the Academic / College Counselor:

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year, Knights! 

And, an extra special welcome to our Class of 2029 entering middle school, our Class of 2027 entering high school, and our Class of 2024 making big decisions about colleges and careers as they prepare to exit high school!

I am so excited to begin the 8th year of my journey as RA's Upper School Academic Counselor. My story at Renaissance starts at the beginning. Literally. When we opened our doors in September 2000, I taught kindergarten. Then, after 4 years, we were ready for our first graduating class and I made a big move to teach high school ELA, where I passionately remained for 13 years. Yes, that means I had the unique experience of teaching my kindergarten students how to read, and then taught them to read/love Shakespeare senior year! How cool is that?!?!

Helping students through the college process has been a passion of mine since our first graduating class in 2005.  I loved it so much, I went back to college for a second master's degree in counseling psychology with a school counselor certification. I have been asked many times over the last 7 years if I miss teaching. As I see it, I am still teaching! Most days, my classroom is A LOT smaller (as everyone who peeks into my office likes to remind me), but I am certainly still teaching AND learning.  

Speaking of learning - what a learning curve it has been for all of us since the pandemic! Change can be hard, and constant change can be seemingly impossible to keep up with.  In an effort to keep Upper School families informed and minimize constant emails from my office, I hope this website will be a useful and comforting resource for students and parents/guardians. It is still very much a work in progress and it will grow more robust throughout the year. The calendar for information pertaining to scheduling and the college process as well as the pages for college application information, financial aid, scholarships, and SATs are the first priority. Bookmark the site, check back often, and use it as your go-to resource to find information. Students can also schedule appointments with me by going to calendly.com/traceybehrens and I am also just an email away! tracey.behrens@rak12.org  We are in this together! 

So, yes, I still miss my dearest Hamlet, but I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to support our 550+ Upper School students and families on their academic path to graduation and beyond. I couldn't be happier!!! Thank you for partnering with me on this journey with your student!

One last thought as we begin this school year: be patient and be kind to yourself and others as we navigate the ever-changing college/career landscape. There are bound to be bumps in the road but we will move forward together. Here's to creating a fabulous year! 

:)Mrs. Behrens O'Brien

Thank you for your patience as this page is built; check back frequently as new information will be added regularly. We are committed to delivering an accessible academic counseling resource for all Renaissance Academy students. We are continually working to improve our web page's accessibility by adopting the best practices and standards defined by Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act and the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We strive to continuously improve accessibility features for students with vision impairments, limited movement, photosensitivity, and accommodations for learning disabilities. 

College Fair Flyer Fall 2021.final





West Virginia University 

Visitation Day:  IN-PERSON Event on Saturday,  April 1, 2023

High School Visitation Day 

College Essay Guy Virtual College Fair

Wednesday, October 6th

6pm-9:45pm Eastern

Check out the schedule and list of colleges, and register now!